Mold with suction holders for confections



Jan. 2l, 1969 1, P. P|ETRZAK 3,423,061

MOLD WITH SUCTION HOLDERS FOR CONFECTIONS Filed Dec. 9, 1966 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent O 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Each compartment within the grid in the congealing tray is provided with a holder having a suction cup at the bottom adhering by suction to the surface of the tray within the compartment for keeping the holder in the desired central location therein while the liquid congeals about it.

This invention relates to the art of congealing confections upon holders and more particularly to a combining of a congealing container and set of holders removably fastened thereto.

Congealed confections upon holders are made and sold in large quantities commercially. Some arrangements have been designed for making such confections in the home but they have not achieved commercial success, apparently because of the difficulty in providing a simple arrangement for keeping the holder in the desired position during the congealing of the liquid.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple arrangement for keeping such holders in the proper position during the congealing of the liquid in the container.

This object is attained in the form shown in the drawings by providing the bottom of each holder with a suction cup. One of the suction cups is fastened by suction to the bottom of the container in the central portion of each compartment thereof with the holder projecting upwardly through the liquid in the compartment and above the liquid level. The suction cups are held in position until the congealing has progressed suiciently to keep the holder in position. In the last portion lof the congealing, the suction of the suction cup is automatically released, thereby freeing the congealed liquid from the container and thereby freeing the suction cup. The congealed liquid may then be released from the compartments by distortion of the container -or by any form of ejection produced by the grid.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top view of a congealing container and suction holders embodying one form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the suction holders;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through the compartments of the congealing container in which the left portion illustrates the liquid in the uncongealed state and the right portion illustrates the congealed liquid with the suction holders shown in each compartment thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of a holder with the congealed liquid thereon; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of suction holder.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URES 1 and V3 a congealing container 20 in the form of 3,423,061 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 a metal or plastic tray provided with a downturned rim 22. The container 20 contains a rectangular grid 24 which divides the container 20 into a plurality of individual liquid containing compartments 26. This grid is illustrated as being of a suitable plastic such as linear polyethylene with the walls thereof tapering from top to bott-om and with the thinnest portion of the taper `at the top and the largest lportion at the bottom. However, if desired a plastic coated metal grid such as is illustrated in Patent 2,642,726 issued J une 23, 1953, may be used in the place yof' a plastic grid. If a metal tray and/ or a metal grid are used they may be provided with a patterned surface such as is disclosed in Design patent 191,552 issued Oct. l0, 1961 and Patent 3,033,008 issued May 8, 1962 and coated with an antisticking wax or plastic such as is illustrated in Patent 3,016,719 issued lan. 16, 1962. However, there should be no patterned surface in the areas in which it is desired to attach the holders. j

To lprovide a holder for the removal and the consumption of the congealed liquid in each compartment, I provide holders 28 for each compartment consisting of a rounded top cylindrical member provided with two annular projections 30 and 32 beneath the normal liquid level 34 within the container 20. The bottom of each holder is provided with a suction cup 36 provided with a concave lower surface 38 surrounded by an endless rim 40 and having a convex upper surface 42. The suction cups 36 are preferably made of -a flexible plastic such as low density polyethylene or flexible natural or synthetic rubber. Each of the handles 28 are held upright in a central location in each of the compartments 26 by the suction between the suction cup 36 and the bottom of the container 20. This suction is obtained merely by inserting the holders 28 with the suction cup 36 pressed down upon the bottom of the container 20 suicient to expel the greater Iportion of the air from the concave bottom of the suction cup. This will fasten the suction cups 36 and the holders 28 in the position set in the bottom of the container 20 within each of the compartments 26.

The liquid to be congealed may be water, milk, cream, fruit juices, confection mixes, colored or flavored water, or gelatin or pudding of sufficient consistency to be held upon the holder. The container 20 is filled after the holders have been set in position. Thereafter, the container may be placed in a cooling or freezing compartment until the liquid is congealed. After the liquid congeals suiciently it will keep the holder in the desired position.

ICC

During the cooling or freezing operation, the suction of each of the suction cups is automatically released. The blocks 46 of -congealed liquid are also freed or released from the pan with the release of the suction cups of the holders. The reason for this is not completely understood at the persent time but this phenomenon appears to be reliable. After the congealing is completed, if the congealed liquid is not completely released by this phenomenon the container 20 may be flexed or the grid 24 flexed or distorted or both to free the congealed liquid in each compartment from the grid 24. The holders 28 with the congealed blocks 46 thereon may be removed as indicated by an upward pull upon the upper portion of the holder thereby providing a block 46 of congealed liquid upon the bottom -of each holder 28 extending around and above the suction cup 36 thereof. The block 46 can therefore be held by the exposed portion of the holder and consumed very readily.

In the form of holder shown in FIGURE 5, the upper portion thereof 50 is formed of a suitable plastic such as nylon and preferably is tapered at some suitable angle such as 5 or 7 degrees. It preferably is provided with a rounded top 52 and at the bottom is provided with a circular rim 54. A suction cup 56 is fastened to the nylon portion 50 by a suitable screw 58 which threads through the suction cup into the center of the nylon member. This suction cup may be of any suitable natural or synthetic rubber or any suitable elastic plastic such as low density polyethylene.

In this form, the tapered outer surface of the member 50 will aid in lifting the congealed liquid from the contanier 20 after congealing is completed. It is used in a manner similar to the holders 28 described in connection with FIGURES 1 through 4.

While the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A congealing device for congealing a liquid upon a holder including (a) a container having an interior surface for the liquid to be congealed (b) and a holder extending into the container upon which the liquid in the container is to congeal (c) wherein the improvement comprises (d) providing as a part of the holder a suction cup having a concave surface surrounded by an endless rim,

(e) said suction cup being fastened by suction to the interior surface of the container to keep the holder in a desired position relative to the container and the liquid during the congealing of the liquid.

2. A congealing device as dened in claim 1 provided with a grid within the container for dividing the interior thereof into compartments in which the liquid is congealed and provided with a holder in each of said compartments in which there is provided as a part `of the holder a suction cup having a concave surface surrounded by an endless rim, each of the suction cups being fastened by suction to the interior surface of the container within the compartment in which the holder is located of which it is a part.

3. A congealing device as defined in claim 1 in which the holder is yprovided with a projection adjacent the suction cup and extending into the liquid to be congealed for increasing the adhesion of the congealed liquid to the holder.

References Cited i UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,003,612 6/1935 Schnaier 249-92 2,034,030 3/1936 Gaugler 249-128 X 2,074,500 3/1937 York 249-92 2,077,200 4/1937 Atchison 249-128 2,752,762 7/1956 Gaugler 249-127 I. HOWARD FLINT, JR., Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 249-128, 132 

